The Saxon Shore and The White Cliffs of Dover (England)

Self Guided Walking

Departure: from 01-04-2018 to 31-10-2018

Status: Open for booking

Price: 715 €

Duration: 8 days

For bookings or questions, contact us at +45 89 88 36 84 or info@solowalks.com

The Saxon Shore Way is named after the line of historic fortifications that defended the Kent coast at the end of the Roman era from Saxon invaders and provides some of the finest coastal walking in England. An unrivalled diversity of scenery includes the White Cliffs of Dover, and panoramic views over Romney Marsh from the escarpment that marks the ancient coastline between Folkestone and Rye. The route is also rich in historical sites and literary associations. Here the Romans invaded Britain and, later, St. Augustine landed to bring the Gospel to the Anglo-Saxon kingdom which would later fall to the Normans who, in their turn, erected great fortresses like Dover Castle to defend their conquests. It follows the coastline of the South East as it was about 1500 years ago, long before the North Kent Marshes or the Romney Marsh came into existence, when the cliff lines to north and south extended further into the sea and when the Wantsum Channel provided a thoroughfare for boats between the Isle of Thanet and mainland England.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Sandwich
Arrive and overnight in Sandwich - Sandwich is a historic town on the River Stour. It was one of the Cinque Ports and still has many original medieval buildings, including several listed public houses and gates in the old town walls, churches, almshouses and the White Mill. While once a major port, it is now two miles from the sea, its historic centre preserved. Evocatively sited amid the East Kent marshes, nearby Richborough fort is perhaps the most symbolically important of all Roman sites in Britain, witnessing both the beginning and almost the end of Roman rule here.

Day 2: Sandwich - White Cliffs of Dover - St. Margaret
The tour flows into the English Channel below Sandwich and you follow the coast south and westward through Deal and Walmer, passing the place where the Romans first landed when they made their conquest of Britain. The path ascends onto the White Cliffs of Dover and then you spend the second night in the village of St. Margarets near South Foreland. Walking: 18 km

Day 3: St. Margaret - Dover - Folkestone
The trail continues across the White Cliffs passing through Dover and along the top of the North Downs above Folkestone. Overnight near Folkestone. Walking: 20 km

Day 4: Folkestone - Dymchurch
The Saxon Shore descends from the North Downs and crosses the neighbouring Greensand ridge to reach the vast flat expanse of Romney Marsh. The forth night is spent on the Marsh, near the seaside town Dymchurch, much associated with smuggling. Walking: 18 km

Day 5: Dymchurch - Appledore
The trail follows the former coastline on the northern edge of the marsh, ascending and descending the line of low cliffs and passing some remote villages. The fifth night is spent near the village of Appledore. Walking: 18 km

Day 6: Appledore - Rye
Beyond Appledore the path crosses the former sea bed to reach the Isle of Oxney. On the far side of this former island it descends the cliffs and follows the Royal Military Canal into the ancient town of Rye, where you spend the sixth night. Walking: 18 km

Day 7: Rye - Hastings
Continue your walk through Winchelsea and across the Fire Hills to the end of the Saxon Shore in Hastings. Overnight Hastings.Walking: 18 km

Day 8: Departure
The tour ends after breakfast

The price includes: ►7 overnights at small hotels and guesthouses with private bathroom (but not always guaranteed) and with breakfast ►Luggage transfer ► Map and road book in English (delivered at the first hotel) ►24-hour telephone service

The price does not include: ►flight tickets ►personal insurance ►transport from/to airport ►beverages and meals, not mentioned in the program ► personal expenses, entrance fees

Price of extra services: ►single room supplement: 200 EUR

Practical information: ► This is a mainly easy walk but moderate over the White cliffs and Greensand, where there are some steep ascents and descents. ►Please note that it's difficult to book accommodation during the UK national holidays unless booked well in advance ►London Airports all have good train connections to Sandwich. London Gatwick is the closest and involves a train from Gatwick to St.Pancras station and then a train from there to Sandwich. Journey time approx. 3 hrs. From London Heathrow again a train can be taken to St. Pancras and a train taken to Sandwich, journey is also about 3 hrs. There are direct trains from Hastings to Gatwick airport approx. every hour. To get back to London Heathrow from Hastings is not so straightforward and there are several options which can be seen on www.traveline.info. Train table and prices can be checked here: www.nationalrail.co.uk

Collecting experience in handling active holidays since its establishment in 1989, Penguin Travel has become a leading provider in the fields of hiking, cycling, horseriding and birdwatching tours (for more information please visit our corporate website at http://www.penguin.dk). The company specializes in offering tailor-made solutions and aims to deliver value for money products by combining professional approach with in-depth local knowledge and flexibility.

Apart from offices in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia and Bulgaria, Penguin Travel has developed a wide network of experienced suppliers in order to ensure the quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of our tour programmes. Our staff unifies young and very active people with university degrees in biology, geography, tourism etc. who have walked most of the routes and know them in details.

What you browse now is the company's specialized website for self-guided tours, which are some of our main activities. Unlike other agencies we do offer also tours that have been designed and prepared directly by ourselves (e.g. the trips in Bulgaria and Turkey) as we believe that this is the way to diversify the global market rather than only offering the most popular walking holidays (which we can't avoid on the other hand).

We hope you will enjoy traveling with us and we all look forward to reading from you soon.